The Lesson I Didn't Expect to Learn This Week.

This week didn't go as planned. There was no Monday drop because life got hectic. (You know how it is) But I still wanted to share something with everyone that's been sitting with me.

I was helping someone prepare for a comprehensive exam this week. Nothing formal. Just walking through some topics, reviewing notes, and talking things out. We chatted about strategy and the best way to retain the information. Somewhere in the middle of explaining something, it hit me:
teaching it out loud helped me learn it better.

I found myself explaining concepts that I hadn't thought about in years and I realized I was learning too. I had to slow down, simplify, and break things down in a way that made sense to someone else. Meanwhile, things clicked for me in a whole new way.

Now, I'm not saying go out and start teaching full-time. What I am saying is:
If you're learning OSINT, teaching (even in informal ways) can help you retain that information.

What does that look like?

Talk it out
Try explaining what you learned to a friend, colleague, or even your kid. If you struggle to explain it clearly, it probably means there's something worth reviewing.

Write it down.
Blog about it. This is a perfect opportunity to share with others what your learning. (Hello, portfolio time!) Create a thread. Or write down some bullet points in a notebook.

Make a cheat sheet.
Put together one-pager so you can later reference later. I used to think people just remembered all kinds of information...then realized most people keep cheat sheets nearby. (I will often forget Linux commands......)

Help someone else.
In my experience, this is the best way to learn and retain information. It's as easy as jumping into a Discord channel and answering some beginner questions. You do not need to be helpful. We learn together.

Present it.
Share something you've learned in a study group, local meetup, or even a casual livestream.

Sharing what you do know helps you figure out what you don't.
This is where the real learning starts.

Now I'm curious...

What have you learned this week?

What's your favorite way of learning a new topic/material?

Drop a comment below or message me! I would love to hear from you.